The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday said that it had “no detailed information” on a Taiwanese woman who was arrested in South Korea and was reportedly facing extradition to China for her alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murder of two people in the Philippines.
The suspect could be extradited to China under an extradition treaty between the two countries and the Philippines also has jurisdiction over the case, as that is where the alleged crime took place, MAC Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said.
“The MAC has no detailed information on the case,” he said on the alleged kidnapping and murder of a US citizen and a Chinese citizen in the Philippines in June.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) on Wednesday said that it would look into the case, Liang said.
Taiwan only has jurisdiction in such cases if the crime committed by a Taiwanese abroad carries a prison sentence of at least three years, Liang added.
It remains unclear whether the Taiwanese is the main suspect or an accomplice, so the minimum sentence cannot be determined, he said.
Liang also said that Taiwan does not have any information on Taiwanese serving prison sentences in China or those who were extradited to China after committing crimes in other countries, as Chinese authorities do not disclose such information.
However, he said the MAC does have statistics on the number of Taiwanese involved in cross-border telecom fraud, and about 600 had been extradited to China from other countries for such offenses from 2016 to May 31.
Reports on Monday said a Taiwanese woman, referred to as Lee Na (李娜), was allegedly involved in the kidnapping and murder of a Chinese national surnamed Xia (夏) and a US citizen of Chinese descent surnamed Sun (孫).
Lee Na had invited Xia and Sun to the Philippines to discuss a potential business venture, the National Business Daily reported. Upon their arrival on June 20, Xia and Sun were kidnapped and then killed on June 24, the report said.
Red Star News on Monday reported that Lee Na had been arrested in Seoul on Sunday and would be extradited to China.
The CIB on Tuesday confirmed that the suspect was a 44-year-old Taiwanese and that the woman’s real surname was Chen (陳).
Relevant agencies in Taiwan were following the case closely, the Ministry of Justice’s Department of International and Cross-Strait Legal Affairs said.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS